Disclaimer: This post is about my personal experience with water fasting. I’m not a health professional and this is not medical advice. Always consult with your doctor or other qualified healthcare professionals before starting any new diet or health regimen.

Change is hard, especially when it involves our bodies and our health. I’ve been carrying around extra weight for a number of years, and I’ve been on a journey to get to a healthier BMI and activity level. It’s not easy, but it’s necessary.

Last December, I embarked on a new phase of this journey. I decided to try water fasting for three days. Yes, you read that right. Three days of consuming nothing but water and black coffee.

But why, you might ask? What could possibly be the benefit of not eating for three whole days?

Well, let me take you back to October 3, 2016. On this day, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Yoshinori Ohsumi for his “discoveries of the mechanisms for autophagy”. In layman’s terms, autophagy is the process by which our body naturally cleans out damaged cells and toxins, helping to regenerate newer, healthier cells. The fascinating part is that autophagy is typically triggered by stressors like exercise or, you guessed it, fasting.

During these three days, I kept my activity levels low, focusing my energy on my internal processes and observing how my body reacted to the fast. The first two days went surprisingly well. I felt good, clear-headed, almost lighter. But the third day hit me hard. I experienced headaches, a common side effect of fasting as the body adjusts to its new state.

When it was time to break my fast, I did so gently, with fruits. This was to ensure that my digestive system would slowly adjust back to processing food.

It was an interesting, intense experience and one that I’m glad I undertook. I learned a lot about my body, about discipline, and about the very real, very tangible benefits of fasting.

However, I want to emphasize that fasting is not for everyone and should be approached with caution. If you’re considering a water fast, please consult with a healthcare professional first. And remember, health is not a destination, but a journey.